


Just Like A Game Of Chess

by holmes_wilson11



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Behavioral Analysis Unit (Criminal Minds), Best Friends, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Co-workers, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Friendship, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Long-Distance Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Memories, Old Friends, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Separations, Unsub | Unknown Subject, Workplace
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2018-08-22 17:05:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8293381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holmes_wilson11/pseuds/holmes_wilson11
Summary: Agent Elizabeth Wilson comes across an old friend whilst working on a case, the team questions there friendship and memories resurface, ones that are not exactly welcome.





	1. In The Air

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bookofreid](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=bookofreid).



Vegas, her home town. 

There was something about the Nevada air that washed over her skin again and the neon lights shining around every corner she turned that gave her the feeling of euphoria. She knew these streets like she knew the back of her hand and that made her ever more confident. Not to mention her new shiny credentials that hung close off her hip. 

There was nothing like going back home, although the welcome she got wasn’t exactly a pleasant one. Then again, a string of murders was never pleasant, although she never had a problem with catching the sick bastards. 

She was consulting as of the personal request from the Las Vegas unit head. Her job sounded formal yet when she walked into the office, everyone greeted her by a first name. And unlucky for the murderer, half a dozen agents followed not long after her. 

Her time was spent setting up everything the team needed, files, photos, maps. Her work being closely examined by everyone in the place, it was almost as if she was under some sort of salience. She finally took a breath when she saw a bunch of rather well dressed people walk in, some of which she imminently recognized. 

Striding over to them rather confidently, she was greeted by a blonde woman, who offered her a hand to shake. 

“Jenifer Jereau, we didn’t speak on the phone did we?” She smiled, knowing the answer to her own question. 

“Agent Elizabeth Wilson and no we did not.” Elizabeth took her hand and firmly shook it, greeting JJ with a warm smile of her own. 

“There are agents Hotchner, Rossi, Morgan, Prentiss and Dr. Spencer Reid.” 

There were handshakes passed around the group, until she reached the one and only Dr. Reid. 

The years had changed him, he looked, different, not in a bad way. Mature and professional with a hint of his usual eccentric style. It had been months, quite possibly years since they last saw each other. Yet, she still remembered his germ phobia. 

“Hi Spence.” She waved in his direction shyly, her voice quiet, the previous confidence suddenly disappearing. 

Spencer looked as though he’d seen a ghost, the shock on his features evident. 

“H-Hi Beth.” He stammered out, his cheeks warming at the sight of the grown women before him. 

He rarely stuttered anymore. This situation certainly caught him off guard, almost rendering him speechless. Confused looks were shared amongst colleagues as their boy wonder eyed up the stranger they just met. 

“They sent seven FBI agents down for this case?” Morgan asked, for the sake of breaking awkward silence. He’d have to tease Reid about this later on. 

“Agh, no. Come.” She beckoned them, leading the way to a rather large empty office. 

A tall man stood in the corner of the room, his silhouette casting across the lineal floor. He slowly turned around to face the group of agents, a lifeless expression embedded on his face. Agent Hotchner was not intimidated by this as he wore the same mask to work, every single day. 

“Thank you for inviting us chief Wilson.” He spoke.

The older man simply nodded before looking toward his offspring. Yet before he reached her, his eyes caught the look of a familiar face. The smallest of smiles graced his lips as he walked away from the group. 

“I apologise for that; this job wears him down sometimes.” Agent Wilson sighed. 

And suddenly her presence made sense.


	2. Profiling

“I’ve charted the abduction and disposal sites for victims one, two and three. All of them are completely random, they were most likely just places of opportunity, no staging involved.”

“Do you think the unsub is killing because he wants to or maybe he thinks he has to, that could be why there’s no staging, plus with victim two he shows signs of remorse, could be cause she’s female, with the men he didn’t do that.” Elizabeth finally sounded her thoughts after two days of holding back. 

She was in her element being back home and all but at the same time way out of it. Adapting to being around six highly trained and experienced profilers wasn’t easily and was intimidating. Two wrong words from her could steer the whole investigation off the rails and they could lose the unsub. That would be her fault. But if she didn’t have an input and make a good impression how was she ever going to get good references and better positions. 

“Elizabeth?” Spencers voice imminently caught got her attention. 

“Sorry, what?” She shook her head, clearing her mind from its previous distractions. 

It had been a long time since her name left his lips yet she was every bit as attentive to him as she used to be. His hazel eyes closely observed her movements, unconsciously profiling his best friend.

Her posture told him just how uncomfortable she was with this situation. The way she endlessly fidgeted with her fingers was a tell-tale anxiety trait. Her hand writing was rushed and messy, it was obvious she was eager to grow and learn from the people around her, always taking notes. 

Her blue eyes finally locked with his. It was like a delayed reaction, reality had held itself back for the first few days and now it was all hitting her like a ton of bricks. 

How much of his life had she missed? In the last six years, every milestone, every award given, depressing day, faked smile and solved case. She knew him, still did, but only now there was a whole other six chapters available, ones that she wasn’t apart of in any way. It was like diving into darkness. The look he gave her, in his eyes, she could just tell that he was worn down. 

“Spence.” Her voice unexpectedly broke with his name. 

Spencer hadn’t heard that broken tone in 6 years, 3 months and 11 days; to be exact the day he left Las Vegas for Virginia. His subconscious response was to comfort her, pulling her close to his body as if he was on auto piolet. Elizabeth welcomed the long awaited hug, easily tangling her arms around his body. 

She would have liked to say that the hug was the best she’d ever had but, it wasn’t. Both of them still had safety walls up. It was like a goodbye hug, a goodbye to everything they used to be, to the bond they had back then and at the same time it was a warm hello. 

Spencer relaxed into her body after a while, welcoming the long buried emotions back. This was all like a dream in his head, having her next to him in the field was something he joked about a long time ago. 

“I can’t believe you’re almost 30.” She whispered sadly into his shoulder. 

“I can’t believe you’re 26!” He exclaimed, tone rising a few octaves. 

“I know!” She sarcastically replied, which put a smile on his face, her sense of humor hadn’t changed much then. 

Maybe everything was going to be okay for her after all. 

From outside of the office Derek stared at the pair through the semi closed blinds. Thick glass preventing him from hearing them both. 

“Who is she baby girl?” He barked down the phone, 

“Hello to you too Derek Morgan.” 

“Sorry mamma, good morning.”

“Better. Okay, Elizabeth April Wilson was born and raised in Las Vegas. Her mother Andrea and younger sister Amelia died in a car crash when she was 16 years old, drunk driver. After that she lived alone with her father. Graduated a few years ago with a BA in phycology and then started police training.” Penelope raddled off everything she could find on this girl. 

“Hmmm.” He mumbled back, watching them carefully interact with one other. 

He had every right it be over protective, Spencer was like a little brother to him and the way this girl had been acting told him to be cautious around her.


End file.
